NEWS
Orient Express Venezia opens in a restored Venetian palazzo
Orient Express Venezia has opened within Palazzo Donà Giovannelli, marking the brand’s second hotel in Venice. The new property brings ultra-luxury hospitality into a restored 15th-century palazzo, blending historic grandeur with a highly crafted contemporary design vision. Owned by Arsenale Group and reimagined by architect and interior designer Aline Asmar d’Amman, the hotel is positioned as a cultural and architectural statement as much as a place to stay. The opening also reinforces Orient Express ambition to build a distinctive portfolio rooted in heritage, design and exceptional travel experiences.
The transformation of Palazzo Donà Giovannelli has been shaped around the dialogue between legacy and reinvention, creating a hotel where Venetian history is not simply preserved but actively reinterpreted. Aline Asmar d’Amman has approached the project as a layered composition of restored frescoes, sculptural forms, mirrored surfaces and precious natural stones, allowing centuries-old architecture to coexist with modern elegance. Throughout the interiors, the so-called lost colours of Venice reappear in textiles, furnishings and finishes, while Venetian craftsmanship is placed in conversation with contemporary art and refined artisanal materials. The result is a highly atmospheric environment where patinated walls, carved surfaces and rich textures create a sense of timeless glamour rather than museum-like formality.
Public spaces play a major role in defining the hotel’s identity. The former mineral courtyard has been transformed into il Corte del Conte, a grand living room filled with layered materials, sculpted boiserie, velvet and bespoke Murano chandeliers. Hidden within the palazzo is a secret garden with tents, a fountain and antique gates, designed as an intimate retreat lit by Venetian lanterns. Calle Meraviglia, linking the garden and the lobby, will host a rotating selection of contemporary artworks aligned with Venice’s cultural calendar, giving the hotel a living connection to the city’s artistic rhythm. This reinforces the property’s positioning not simply as a hotel, but as a cultural salon embedded in the spirit of the destination.
Accommodation continues the same narrative of heritage-led luxury. Orient Express Venezia features 47 rooms, suites and residences, each shaped by the architectural layers of the historic building, with restored murals, sculptural ceilings and views over gardens and canals. The six Signature Suites reveal some of the hotel’s most distinctive features, including 19th-century frescoes, gilded salons, monumental marble fireplaces and tall windows overlooking some of the city’s most desirable canal views. These spaces are intended to deliver a highly individual guest experience, where the richness of the palazzo becomes part of the stay rather than a decorative backdrop.
Food and beverage are equally central to the concept. Overseen by three-Michelin-starred Chef Heinz Beck, the culinary programme includes Heinz Beck Venezia, an intimate fine-dining venue within the historic orangerie, the all-day dining restaurant La Casati, and The Wagon Bar, an Art Deco-inspired bar that pays tribute to the legendary lounge cars of the original Orient Express trains. The hotel also includes Salone Vittoria, an events space on the first floor that preserves the ceremonial character associated with the wedding of Princess Vittoria Farnese. Altogether, Orient Express Venezia enters the market as a highly theatrical and refined luxury hotel, one that uses heritage restoration, design, fine dining and cultural programming to create a new landmark in the heart of Venice.
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